ingredients for food and beverage industry from a ......ingredients for food and beverage industry...
TRANSCRIPT
Ingredients for Food and Beverage industry from a
lignocellulosic source
Project number 606073
PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY
FINAL REPORT
Page 2 of 14
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FINAL PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 3
Executive summary ................................................................................................................... 3
Summary description of project objectives and the main objectives ....................................... 4
Description of main S&T results/foregrounds .......................................................................... 6
Description of potential impact and main dissemination activities and the exploitation results
................................................................................................................................................. 11
Public website address as well as relevant contact details ..................................................... 14
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FINAL PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY
Executive summary
Natural resources are being exhausted by the greater demand of their services and insufficient
measures for their preservation. Use of waste components of agriculture as value-added
products is of great relevance to preserve environment and biodiversity. Hemp is one of the
oldest cultivated plants and responsible of numerous environmental benefits; resistant to pests
allowing reduction of agricultural biocides use, positive crop-sequencing effect for other
bioenergy crops, and fast crop growth with low husbandry costs. These factors make hemp an
excellent renewable source to obtain compounds of added value in a “biomass biorefinery”
approach. Thus, the LIGNOFOOD project aims at using hemp as lignocellulosic source material
to obtain xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) with the greatest prebiotic potential, and xylitol (as a by-
product of the process), so that healthy products of added value can be developed with these
ingredients. XOS are non-digestible dietary components that have been recently reported to
stimulate growth and/or modify the metabolic activity of beneficial bacteria and improve gut
health. On the other hand, xylitol is of great value because of its low caloric and low glycemic
index, and used as sugar substitute.
In order to reach the project’s aim, research has been carried out on: (i) Technological process
development for XOS production from hemp, (ii) technological process development for xylitol
production, (iii) processes integration, techno-economical feasibility and life-cycle assessments,
(iv) prebiotic effect of XOS on human microflora, and (v) safety for food grade use, and food
enrichment parameters for consumer acceptance.
LIGNOFOOD project’s work was planned to cover all the research steps required to obtain XOS
and xylitol from hemp and their food application. Firstly, protocol possibilities for the extraction
of hemicelluloses (xylan) from hemp shives was researched. Secondly, production methods to
obtain XOS from the extracted xylan was investigated with the use of enzymes, which were
characterized, improved and immobilized in different supports. The XOS structures produced
were analysed by prebiotic functionality tests. The xylan derived material has been hydrolysed
to xylose. Xylose has been used to produce xyilitol by yeast biocatalysts, which have been
developed aiming at high reactivity and specific co-substrate selectivity. Finally, the processes
for the production of XOS and xylitol from hemp shives have been scaled-up and food products
enriched in XOS and/or xylitol have been developed as proof-of-concept.
Participating SMEs will benefit from the results of the proposed research in means of know-how,
patenting and licensing, and commercialization of XOS and xylitol to the food industry.
Consequently, they will improve their competitiveness by gaining access to the rapidly growing
market of functional foods.
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Summary description of project objectives and the main objectives
Use of waste components of agriculture as value-added products (product of more value than
the material in its raw state) is of great relevance to preserve environment and biodiversity,
avoiding consumption of natural resources, soil degradation and competition for land use.
Project LIGNOFOOD aims at using agricultural waste products from hemp (hemp shives) as raw
source to obtain compounds of healthy added-value, i.e. xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) and xylitol.
XOS are non-digestible dietary components (oligosaccharides made up of 3-10 xylose units) that
have been recently reported to stimulate growth and/or modify the metabolic activity of
beneficial bacterial species in the gut and improve gut health. Xylitol is a low caloric sweetener
suitable for diabetics and used as sugar substitute because of its lower glycemic index than other
sugars.
The goal of the LIGNOFOOD project is the revalorization of the main by-product from hemp
processing, into valuable healthy ingredients for food product enrichment. To reach this goal,
the following scientific and technological objectives were proposed:
The development of a technological process to obtain XOS and xylitol from hemp.
o Developing a pre-processing method to extract hemicelluloses from hemp
shives or other parts of hemp for further processing.
o Developing enzyme-based methods to process hemicelluloses into
xylooligosaccharides (XOS) with different chemical structures and properties.
o Finding the optimal chemical structure of XOS for the greatest prebiotic
potential and impact on intestinal health.
o Developing an enzyme-based method to obtain xylitol from by-products of the
XOS production process.
Integration of the developed methods in a combined process to obtain XOS and xylitol
from hemp.
The development of food products enriched in XOS and/or xylitol.
o Application of XOS and xylitol to new food product developments targeting
consumers concerned in maintaining their gut health, and generally interested
in healthier food choices (low glycemic index, low caloric, etc).
Positive societal consequences of reaching these objectives can be foreseen on:
Helping the sustainability of hemp processing and growing, together with its associated
environmental benefits (CO2 reduction, phytoremediation).
Increasing the availability of healthier food solutions that will facilitate own health
management and a more sustainable health care.
In the first project period, the technical objectives were related to the development of an
integrated process to obtain XOS and xylitol from hemp in a sustainable and cost-effective
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manner. First, it was necessary to select the most suitable pre-processing method to extract
hemicelluloses from hemp shives for further processing. Then, the main objectives were to
develop two enzyme-based methods: to process hemicelluloses into xylooligosaccharides (XOS)
and to obtain xylitol from by-products of the XOS production process.
The production of XOS from hemp shives hemicelluloses needs chemical transformations carried
out by enzymes. In the frame of project LIGNOFOOD, different enzymes were evaluated
(endoxylanases, beta-xylosidases and arabinofuranosidases) in order to obtain XOS with
different chemical structures and properties, and to get an optimal preparation and cost
effective enzyme derivatives. In this way, the most interesting enzymes were immobilized-
stabilized by multipoint covalent immobilization on highly activated glyoxyl-supports.
The xylitol production process could be accomplished by chemical means, but LIGNOFOOD aims
at a cost efficient and ecologically favoured approach in which the widely used baker’s yeast is
employed as a biocatalyst. Even though the xylose utilization capacity of S. cerevisiae is
negligible, its ease of handling together with its GRAS status favours its application food- and
beverage-additive production. Hence, in the frame of this project xylose reductase (XR) activity
will be conferred to S. cerevisiae by genetic engineering. The obtained strains were tested for
xylitol productivity and the most promising candidate has been used for the improvement of the
basal fermentation conditions. The technical process has been optimized in lab-scale bioreactor
experiments.
The main technical objectives in the second period of the project focus on the one hand, on the
set up of the XOS and xylitol production method at the pilot scale. In this sense, optimal and
cost-effective immobilized biocatalysts of endoxylanases and β-xylosidases were designed. The
use of the biocatalysts for the transformation of xylan (an agricultural waste) into xylobiose (a
valuable prebiotic useful as food ingredient) and into xylose was also studied.
On the other hand, the technical objectives are related to study the optimal chemical structure
of XOS for the greatest prebiotic potential and impact on intestinal health. Bifidogenic effects of
XOS were demonstrated depending on type of XOS and concentration in the i-screen platform
mimicking the human colon conditions containing the ex-vivo human colonic microbiota. This
was demonstrated by a Bifidobacterium quantitative PCR, 16S amplicon sequencing and
metatranscriptome analysis showing expression of genes involved in xylane / xylose metabolism
of bifidobacteria in the colonic microbiota.
In addition, the development of food products enriched in XOS and/or xylitol is another
important technical objective of the project. Finally, three food matrices were formulated with
XOS and xylitol attending to XOS functionality preservation and to food quality and safety.
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Description of main S&T results/foregrounds
1. Pre-treatment process of hemp shives
In the first period of the project, different existing methods for the separation of the
hemicellulose fraction from lignocellulosic sources were reviewed. Several preliminary tests
were carried out in order to select the most adequate method based on efficacy (% recovery),
simplification, cost-efficiency and environmental impacts assuring its fit for the required
purpose of XOS and xylitol production for food application.
In the second period, the scale-up of this pre-treatment of the hemp shives wascarried out, in
order to obtain xylan-rich liquors by solubilisation of the hemicellulose fraction. On the one
hand, 100 L of xylan liquor from hemp has been produced and supplied to project partners as a
raw material for the scale-up production of XOS and xylitol. On the other hand, the design of a
high-pressure reactor to perform Auto-hydrolysis at a Pilot scale was undertook.
2. XOS production and purification
A set of native and recombinant enzymes were tested in the first project period. All
endoxylanases exhibited a specific activity ranged between 40 – 80 Units per mg of pure enzyme
at 50ºC. All beta-xylosidases exhibited a specific activity ranged between 100-120 U/mg at 50ºC.
Arabinofuranosidases exhibited a specific activity of 60-80 Unit per mg of pure enzyme. The
optimal pH was always 5 and all the enzymes exhibited a good stability at 50ºC and this pH 5,0.
The half-life times were usually higher than 20 hours.
In this context, the recombinant enzymes seem to be the most suitable for industrial
implementation: very high amounts of easily purificable enzymes can be produced.
These enzymes were intended to be immobilized and stabilized by multipoint covalent
immobilization on highly activated glyoxyl-agarose supports. Preliminary results indicated that
immobilized derivatives expressed more than 75 % of catalytic activity and were fairly stable at
pH 5.0 and 50ºC (with a half-life time higher than 2 months).
During the second period of the project, optimal and cost-effective immobilized biocatalysts of
endoxylanases and β-xylosidases were designed. The use of the biocatalysts for the
transformation of xylan (an agricultural waste) into xylobiose (a valuable prebiotic useful as food
ingredient) and into xylose was also studied.
Twelve different microbial endoxylanases were immobilized and highly stabilized by multipoint
covalent immobilization on highly activated glyoxyl supports. Immobilized derivatives were
additionally stabilized by coating the enzyme surfaces with different hydrophilic polymers:
aldehyde-dextran, glycine-dextran polyethyleneimine, etc. The most stable derivative was
obtained with a commercially available enzyme (endo-1,4-beta-xylanase from Trichoderma
reesei). The immobilized derivative of a recombinant endoxylanase from Streptomyces halstedii
has also very interesting. Two different glyoxyl supports were evaluated: i) Agarose gels:
expensive and only useful for stirred tank reactors; ii) macroporous cellulose beads: cost-
effective and useful for both stirred tank and packed bed reactor. The most stable derivative
was the selected commercial enzyme - cellulose beads, which preserved 56 % of catalytic activity
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(regarding to soluble enzyme used for its preparation) and it was 38,000 fold more stable in
experiments of thermal inactivation. The optimal conditions for xylan hydrolysis were
stablished, obtained 82 % of xylobiose with small percentages of xylose and xylotriose.
Multimeric β-xylosidases were also immobilized and stabilized. With these enzyme derivatives,
xylobiose could be transformed in xylose in less than 2 hours under very mild conditions.
Separation processes were applied for the removal of furfural (96.08g/mol) and HMF (126
g/mol) as well as monosaccharides such as xylose (150 g/mol) and glucose (180 g/mol) from XOS
fermentation syrup.
The removal of furfural and Hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF) (95%) from XOS fermentation was
achieved via ion exchange with chelating resins and adsorption with activated carbon processes.
Moreover, if hybrid process including nanofiltration (NF) membrane followed by ion exchange
or adsorption, the removal was improved. For the removal of monosaccharides these methods
was partially successful.
3. Xylitol production and purification
For the reduction of xylose to xylitol in hemp-derived technological substrate solutions a robust
and efficient biocatalyst was sought. Six different S. cerevisiae strains that all express the
NADPH-dependent enzyme xylose reductase (XR) from Candida tenuis (Ct) in its wild type form
or an NADH-specific mutant of the enzyme were investigated. The strains further differed from
each other in the type of promoter or in the mode of XR expression, which was either from a
plasmid or from a genome-integrated expression cassette. Highest intracellular XR activities
were obtained when XR was expressed from a multi-copy plasmid. The strain carrying the GPD-
promoter-XR cassette in the genome showed the lowest intracellular activities. Comparison of
the wild type enzyme and its variant using the plasmid-containing strains clearly demonstrated
that the wild type enzyme surpasses the performance of its NADH-specific mutant. Furthermore,
it was demonstrated that both ethanol and glucose, but not glycerol, are potent co-substrates
for internal co-enzyme recycling. Due to cell growth deficiencies in selective medium and
unstable XR activities in full medium of plasmid-containing strains, a strain with genome-
integrated XR was favored to accomplish the xylitol production process. Among the strains that
harbored an XR expression cassette in the genome, the one that expressed the enzyme under
control of the GPD promoter gave the best performance in shaking flask tests and was thus used
for optimization of xylitol production. Fed batch experiments under different aeration
conditions and temperatures revealed the necessity of oxygen and a temperature of 30°C for
effective xylitol production. Furthermore, the positive effect of a high biocatalyst loading (≥ 7
gCDW/L) on the volumetric productivity and the positive impact of a high xylose concentration on
the specific productivity of the yeast was demonstrated. Under optimized conditions, the chosen
biocatalyst was able to reduce 15 g/L of xylose almost completely within 48 hours with both
glucose or ethanol as co-substrates.
Data that were obtained from shaking flask experiments were used to develop a xylitol
production process in a scaleable bench-top bioreactor. A one-pot biomass production and
xylose reduction process was used to determine relevant conversion conditions. However,
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varying cell growth in the biomass production phase led to inconsistent xylitol yields and
productivities and thus biocatalyst production was decoupled from xylose conversion for the
final xylitol production process. While cells were first cultivated in a medium consisting of yeast
extract, peptone and glucose, tests on different media compositions and yeast extracts indicated
that a combination of a yeast extract and glucose can be used for biocatalyst production in the
absence of peptone. The biocatalyst was subjected to bio-reactor fermentations (final
concentration ~7 gCDW/L) containing ~40 g/L xylose in a medium containing yeast extract and
glucose. Parameters for this model conversion were optimized. Xylose reduction by S. cerevisiae
is known to be most efficient under glucose-limited fed-batch conditions. Our studies proposed
a combination of glucose and yeast extract feeding, in order to prevent inhibitory glucose- as
well as ethanol- and acetate-accumulation in the fermentation broth. Using this approach, more
than 95% of the applied xylose were converted to xylitol within only 48 hours of fermentation.
Yeast cells showed no loss in xylitol productivity or yields when they were immediately reused
for another round of xylose reduction or stored at -80°C in 40% glycerol and then reutilized. As
a cheap alternative, nutritive molasses was tested as a putative co-substrate and results
revealed that it can be used at a feeding rate of 3.4 mL/h. Even without additional yeast extract
feeding cells were able to utilize molasses for internal co-enzyme regeneration and xylitol
production. However, sterility issues recommend rigorous sterilization of the molasses before
application.
In order to test the performance of the strain in a technological, hemp-derived substrate
solution, hemp shives had to be hydrolysed in a way to yield maximal xylose and minimal
inhibitor (e.g. acetate and furfural) concentrations. Therefore, different chemical and hydro-
thermal techniques were tested on rough-grind or milled hemp-shives with/without different
concentrations of cellulases and varying incubation times. The most economical method was
obtained, without subsequent enzymatic treatment. This approach yielded a primary hemp
hydrolysate (HH), containing 16.9 g/L xylose, 2.4 g/L glucose and 5.6 g/L acetate. For some
experiments, the primary HH was concentrated 3-4 fold by evaporation to enhance the xylose
concentration in the substrate solution. Other experiments were performed using concentrated
HH that underwent an additional detoxification step using Ca(OH)2. Shaking flask experiments
using the described IBB HH variants revealed that the biocatalyst performance suffers from
highly concentrated HH and only parts of the xylose could be consumed before the process
stagnated. Decreasing the amount of fed co-substrate (glucose) increased the yields moderately.
However, detoxifying the concentrated HH could not bring about any benefit. Furthermore, XDH
activity was observed in the employed strain when detoxified HH was used, which resulted in
intracellular breakdown of the produced xylitol and thus decreased yields and pentose
recoveries. As a result, it was recommended to use primary HH for the bio-reduction process.
Shaking flask experiments with the technological substrate solution suggested that full xylose
reduction was possible, however with reduced pentose recoveries. Bio-reactor fermentations,
where stable pH, aeration and feeding conditions were ensured, resulted in >95% conversion of
the present xylose (18 g/L) in 72 hours with a pentose recovery close to 100%. The underlying
protocol of this successful xylose bio-reduction experiment provided the final guideline for
xylitol production from hemp-derived xylose.
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For the isolation of pure xylitol from the fermentation broths, several techniques were reviewed
and ultimately we focused on crystallization, as this method is comparably cheap and easy to
scale-up. Roughly, the final protocol includes precipitation of impurities with ethanol,
concentration of the broth, the actual crystallisation step and a re-crystallization procedure to
end up with a highly pure product.
4. Definition of chemical structure and characteristics of XOS for validated functionality
The prebiotic effect of different hemp-derived xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) with different degree
of polymerization and ratio of xylobiose in comparison to other existing prebiotics inulin and/or
GOS was shown. XOS types and xylobiose show bifidogenic effects in the intestinal screening
multi well platform simulating the human colonic microbiota conditions (i-screen platform).
Different XOS types and xylobiose yield an increase in beneficial microbes, particularly
Bifidobacterium spp. The effects are oligo-sugar type dependent as well as concentration
dependent. At appropriate concentrations beneficial microbial metabolites mainly butyrate are
produced. Moreover a decrease in opportunistic pathogens such as Clostridium spp. and
Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli/ Shigella) was observed. XOS, Xylobiose and compound 3 was shown
to affect gene expression of the colonic microbiota. The metatranscriptome was determined
and compared to the metatranscriptome of the non-exposed negative control exposure without
prebiotics thereby showing a significant difference. Expression of genes involved in
xylene/xylose metabolic pathway in bifidobacteria was observed.
For functional validation, normal colon epithelial CCD 841 CoN cell line was tested to different
concentrations of XOS mixture. Time and dose dependent response of the cell proliferation was
determined by RTCA cell analysis system. The XOS concentrations with antiproliferative effect
were identified. Effects on gene expression levels were also evaluated by microarray analysis,
which required high bioinformatics performance by Gene Spring software program.
To confirm the microarray data, RT-PCR was performed from the same RNA samples and in
addition, Western blot experiment was conducted (for GAPDH and BCl-2 proteins). The
expression levels of the genes encoding the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, antioxidant proteins
GSTP1 (Gluthathione S-transferase-1), MRP1 (Multiple Drug Resistance Associated Protein-1)
and NFE2L2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) were determined for the different
concentrations of XOS. The results obtained were in parallel with the microarray data. Western
blot experiment data was also in concordance with the microarray results.
5. Application to food matrix and food grade assurance
A literature review was done for defining the main properties of XOS and Xylitol and how they
could be affected by food processing. Xylooligossacharides (XOS) and Xylitol can interact with
other compounds of the food matrix and modify their behavior and bioavailability .This was the
premise to select the most suitable food matrices for adding XOS and Xylitol: Cookies (xylitol),
Jam (xylitol and XOS), Vegetables Puree (XOS). The enriched food formulations were developed
at pilot scale by replicating food industry conditions. The food formulations were characterised
and the best concentration valued of each food matrix was developed in order to study its shelf
life and the consumer acceptance.
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The properties of XOS are depending on the degree of polymerization, long or short chain. In
function of its length they would be more suitable for an application or for another. The most
important parameters that have to be in mind at food processing in order to preserve the
functionality of XOS are: temperature, pH, among others.
According to theses premises CTIC-CITA has been working on 3 prebiotic food matrix
formulations: cookies, jam and puree of vegetables by testing different concentrations of
prebiotic XOS and Xylitol. These three matrices were selected according to the analysis of
scientific references.
The effect of XOS and Xylitol enrichment was studied from different point of views such as:
physical-chemical, sensorial properties, prebiotic effect. After this characterization the best
concentration of each food matrix was developed in order to study its shelf life. It was valued
the evolution of XOS and Xylitol content, microbiological, sensorial shelf life and the evolution
of the quality parameters along the whole shelf life.
In parallel, consumer preferences and acceptability of these prebiotic products were studied.
As a summary of all the results, it can be concluded:
Both XOS and Xylitol are stable after the food processing and along 45 days and it could
be recovered almost 100% of Xylitol and XOS.
XOS improve the texture by providing more creaminess and by minimizing syneresis
effect a long time. Besides, XOS acidified slightly the food matrices.
Xylitol improves the texture by producing a juicy mouthfeel effect. However, the
changes in the texture of cookies are not favorable and the cookies are softer, but
acceptable.
Xylitol in cookies is much oxidatevely stable than formula CTROL at low temperatures
of analysis (140-150 oC). However, at high temperatures (180 oC) Xyilitol presents a
pro-oxidant behavior.
Sensorial: the most critical aspect is flavour, XOS provide a strong flavour that could
determine the use of these compounds. It could be solved by looking for other food
matrices where this flavour could be masked.
Jam enriched with xylitol/XOS and Spinach puree enriched with XOS were tested in the i-screen
platform. As the xylitol and XOS are not digested by the human digestive enzymes, these food
products were directly tested in the colonic microbiota. The i-screen platform containing a
human colonic microbiota was exposed during different hours to jam with and without
xylitol/XOS, spinach puree with and without XOS, inulin, XOS and the negative control without
prebiotic. The 16S rDNA amplicon analysis results are compared to XOS and inulin exposures as
positive controls and a negative control without prebiotic. Bifidogenic effects were observed as
a consequence of the presence of XOS in the food products. However, pleiotropic effects of
other food component affect the overall bifidogenic effect of the food as well as the colonic
microbiome.
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Description of potential impact and main dissemination activities and the
exploitation results
Potential impact
Project LIGNOFOOD main impact is focused on helping SME participants in scouting new market
niches and initiating strategic cooperation, which are the biggest challenges for SMEs. The
identified LIGNOFOOD potential impacts for the consortium SMEs are the following:
ENVIROHMEP will benefit from the know-how developed under LIGNOFOOD project regarding the optimisation of the hemp biomass pre-treatment. The company will be equipped for the production of xylan liquor in the scale of m3 within the first semester after Project’s End. Demonstration of economic feasibility of the Auto-hydrolysis process is a major target of the Pilot stage and will be validated during 2016. The company becomes potentially a commercial supplier (pioneer case in Europe) of xylan solutions to ISANATUR and other companies in the business of functional ingredients.
ISANATUR SPAIN will implement the XOS and xylitol production process developed in LIGNOFOOD. This will bring to this company several benefits in terms of know-how, manufacture of emerging ingredients with optimized healthy properties, sales at high prices and market penetration. ISANATUR partner will benefit of direct access to a raw material that is currently scarce in Europe, if present at all.
ZADE will be able to produce prebiotic ingredients from lignocellulosic sources such as hemp, in this way it will diversify its company portfolio.
BIOREACTOR will gain expertise in fed-batch fermentation set-ups with the strains used in the project and the bioreactors design for future applications in the field of the biotechnology and food sectors. The company will be able to develop more expertise in bioreactors engineering issues for LIGNOFOOD new processes for XOS and xylitol production.
HIDROLAB will extend its core engineering consultancy services by acquiring complementary skills. These skills are related to the design and coordination of boilermaker and welding workshops for the production of stirred, high-pressure vessels.
Besides the economic impacts of project LIGNOFOOD in the participant companies and
throughout the European SMEs in the food ingredients and functional food sector, project
LIGNOFOOD has positive environmental and societal consequences too.
In regard to the environmental impact, the use of hemp for the production of
xilooligosaccharides (XOS) constitutes a new application for this crop, which will support the
agriculture of hemp. Hemp agriculture has associated environmental benefits (agrochemical use
reduction, CO2 reduction) that motivate the use of this raw material instead of others most
commonly used for XOS production, such as corn.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Lignofood biotech process, from cradle to gate, was
conducted according to ISO 14040. Hence, the environmental burdens of the production of XOs
and xylitol within the whole value chain (from the agricultural production of raw material to the
extraction of the bio-products) were estimated at two scales of production capacity (pilot and
industrial plant) and for both, independent and combined/integrated production processes of
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XOs and xylitol. The most critical steps and inputs were identified and measures of improvement
were suggested in order to reduce the environmental footprint of both bio-products.
The Life Cycle Costing (LCC) of the process was also calculated based on both, operating costs
(feedstock, energy, water and enzymes among others) and fix costs (investment, labour,
maintenance, commercialisation, etc.).
Project LIGNOFOOD has a potential impact on health because the project results will increase
the availability of healthier food solutions that will facilitate own health management and a
more sustainable health care. Application of XOS and xylitol to new food product developments
targeting consumers concerned in maintaining their gut health, and generally interested in
healthier food choices (low glycemic index, low caloric, etc.) is a goal of the project.
Dissemination activities
Internal dissemination aims at making awareness within the consortium in order to accomplish
the entrusted work and deadlines. The following activities have been carried out in the
dissemination strategy: Internal seminars, Internal reports, Project meetings, Project website
with restricted access, Mailing list, and other telecommunication tools.
External dissemination actions related to the project have been carried out too: Scientific
publications, Project website, other website dissemination, Press releases, Social media,
Conferences, Business meetings, trade shows and fairs, Networking with other national and EU
initiatives, Networks and social platforms and outreach activities.
Exploitation of results
Expected project results emanating from project LIGNOFOOD and the exploitation strategy are
summarized in the following table:
Partner Short term interests Long term interests
ISANATUR Patent application of the XOS
production process from hemp and
purification
Patent application of the integrated
production process of XOS and xylitol
Product Functionality assurance
Functional food product formulation
with XOS/xylitol
Process implementation at a pilot-plant
scale
Small-scale production of prototypical
products (xylitol/XOS)
Patents licensing
Scale-up to industrial plant
Product sales
BIOREACTOR Project result 3
Partnering with potential end-user of
the process being developed
Engineering services
Equipment sales
Attracting New clients
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Partner Short term interests Long term interests
Commercial agreements with
ISANATUR and ZADE as the equipment
provider for the pilot plant
Commercial agreements with
ISANATUR and ZADE as the
equipment provider for the
industrial plant
Commercial agreement with
ISANATUR to point BIOREACTOR as
the provider of equipment to
lincensees of the patent owned by
ISANATUR
ZADE Biotechnological product formulation
New process line in a new R&D
investment
New technology implementation
New and innovative product addition
to the current pharmaceutical product
series
New product development with XOS
and xylitol
Patent application of the XOS
production process from hemp and
purification,
Process implementation of prototype
products (xylitol/XOS) at pilot plant
scale
Hemp based functional food product
development
Privileged conditions in the license
to exploit the patents
New investment for scale-up to
industrial plant
Product sales in new market
ENV Project result 1, optimization for
fragmentation process of biomass.
Market exit for one fraction with actual
low cost.
Partnering with potential industrial and
research agents for future
developments
Scale-up to industrial plant
Product sales
Consolidate a Business Line related
to market xylan for food purposes.
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Public website address as well as relevant contact details
Project LIGNOFOOD website:
http://lignofood.eu/
Project Coordinator:
Contactica S.L: www.contactica.es
Manuel Román Jimeno: [email protected]
Organization Name Of Contact
Person E-Mail
CONTACTICA S.L. Ángela Álvarez Doval [email protected]
Manuel Román Jimeno [email protected]
ENVIROHEMP S.L. Carlos Sanchis [email protected]
HELVACIZADE GIDA VE IHTIYAC MADDELERI SANAYI VE TICARET AS
Zeliha Üstün [email protected]
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
José Manuel Guisán [email protected]
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZ
Bernd Nidetzky [email protected]
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK - TNO
J. van der Vossen [email protected]
SELCUK UNIVERSITESI Mustafa Ersöz [email protected]
ASOCIACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION EL DESARROLLO Y LA INNOVACION ALIMENTARIA
Macarena Baylos de Nárdiz
ISANATUR SPAIN S.L. Nuria Mateo [email protected]
BIOTEHNISKAIS CENTRS AS Juris Vanags [email protected]
HIDROLAB S.L. Angel Polo [email protected]